Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp suggests he may be forced to rest Trent Alexander-Arnold

Klopp does not want to burn out the young academy graduate as Liverpool's fixtures mount up

Trent Alexander-Arnold has replaced Nathaniel Clyne at right-back for Liverpool (Getty)

Jurgen Klopp has suggested that he may be forced to leave Trent Alexander-Arnold out of his starting line-up in the coming weeks as Liverpool's fixtures mount up.

The 18-year-old has replaced the injured Nathaniel Clyne at right-back for each of Liverpool’s two competitive games so far this season and scored the opening goal on his European debut in Tuesday’s 2-1 Champions League play-off win at Hoffenheim.

Clyne remains some way off a return to full fitness but with Liverpool set to play three times in the next nine days, starting with Crystal Palace’s visit to Anfield on Saturday, Klopp is mindful of straining young Alexander-Arnold and may yet call on another stand-in.

“The Clyne situation is difficult because he had no pre-season and for us a player we did not think about too much because he was always available,” Klopp said.

“So it would have been a good situation for Trent to play games and try to understand, but I don’t think we can let him play five games in 14 days or something like this. That’s the situation.

“It’s about bringing the player in a better situation to deal better with the intensity of the game. [Alexander-Arnold] has not had the time other players [have had] to do this. Yes, he is a big talent but I think we speak too much about him.”

Despite scoring in Hoffenheim, Alexander-Arnold’s night was blemished by a late error which allowed Hoffenheim’s Mark Uth to score and keep the Bundesliga outfit’s hopes of progression to the group stages alive.

“That’s not my problem because I want a situation where the boy can develop, make mistakes,” Klopp said. “Did I laugh at the mistake he made? No. But it showed everything in one game. That’s how young players are.

“He’s a young boy with a few more skills than the others, 100 per cent, but it’s not just the goal or the free kick - it was the other set pieces, the crosses were very good. He has a lot to learn, a lot to adapt.”

Klopp could not give an exact timescale on how long Clyne will be sidelined for, as the England international continues his recovery from a thigh problem sustained during pre-season.

“We sorted it and with all experts and everything, not just our own medical department,” Klopp said. “Having a rest and doing a program in the summer, he will be sorted. He started again and was not. That’s how medicine is.

“I have had situations like this. For us it’s another situation which is not perfect. We work on these things to find a solution.”